The Politics of Spite

All through their years of opposition the Tories have been softening us up. Proposals to celebrate Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar with a bank holiday on 21 October have been floated for years. Particularly attractive as it fills that long holidayless gap between the summer and Christmas. Now the truth is out. It’s not an extra holiday it’s a replacement. Of course the real agenda is to satisfy all those fulminating red-faced right wingers who can’t abide the notion that there is a May Day holiday with all its left wing connotations. A holiday for the workers. Red flags flying they abandon their looms and march to the mill owner’s mansion to tear it down brick by brick. Actually, what they really do is go to the local out of town shopping centre and spend the day in Tesco. So, whilst I accept that there’s a lot of urgent work for government and parliament to do to avoid us being dragged down by the world-wide recession, I don’t think we have time to waste giving a few bigots their petty satisfaction. If we must have some legislation, why not a compromise? Keep May Day and have Trafalgar Day as well.